Eike Batista's ex-wife says he hid a gold mine during divorce

At one point in 2015, he gained the rare distinction of “negative billionaire” when his net worth sank to more than $1 billion in debt. (Image courtesy of Shutterstock)

(Bloomberg) — Eike Batista, the former billionaire who lost his fortune and spent time in jail for alleged corruption, has a new headache: a lawsuit from his ex-wife.

Luma de Oliveira, a former model and actress who famously wore a collar with Batista’s name during a Carnival parade, filed suit against the former billionaire for allegedly failing to declare the full value of his assets when they ended their 13-year marriage, according to court documents published by Veja magazine. A gold mine worth hundreds of millions of reais was allegedly left out of the settlement, the magazine reported.

Oliveira only suspected Batista had not fully disclosed his fortune four years after their 2004 divorce, according to the documents. Repeatedly confronted by his ex-wife, Batista eventually told her he would correct for the shortfall, but never made good on the promise, the suit alleges.

Batista’s lawyer did not return a call and email requesting comment. Oliveira’s lawyers weren’t immediately available to confirm the suit.

Batista’s commodities and logistics empire raised his personal fortune to more than $30 billion at the start of the decade, turning him into one of the wealthiest people in the world. Those riches evaporated after his group of startups went bust under a mountain of debt and insider trading investigations. At one point in 2015, he gained the rare distinction of “negative billionaire” when his net worth sank to more than $1 billion in debt.